First Light
by illGiveYouTwo
Summary: Jozzlyn's life is about to be changed forever when she meets Drizzt Do'Urden.  This is my first fanfic, please feel free to give me constructive criticism.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER**:** I DO NOT CLAIM TO OWN THE RIGHTS TO ANY CHARACTER NAMES, LOCATIONS, ETC. ALL CREDIT BELONGS TO R.A. SALVATORE. THIS CONTRIBUTION IS MY PERSONAL TRIBUTE TO SUCH AN INCREDIBLE AUTHOR.**

Jozzlyn cringed as a large black spider crawled across her bare foot. She resisted the urge to crush its body with her scroll, only because doing so was strictly forbidden. To kill an arachnid meant to defy Lolth herself. Religion never meant much to her. Her mother never stressed the importance of anything other than rising above the other Houses, and using any means necessary. Appeasing Lolth was just an added bonus to her mother's conquest. The Spider Queen often aided those she favored.

She rose up from a sitting position on her bedroom floor. She had recently taken to guarding her chamber door at all hours. Not that it mattered, Bregan D'aerthe was paid handsomely by the Matron Mother herself; to spy on whomever she felt threatened her or house Baenre. Jarlaxle had already been to Jozzlyn's rooms twice within the last week. There could be only one reason she had not been taken to Triel for questioning yet: House Barrison Del'Armgo was still too powerful for the Matron Mother to openly attack without risking a unification of the other houses under Mez'Barris Armgo's banner. The only reason Jozzlyn was allowed sanctuary in House Baenre was because Triel had ceremoniously honored her as a Mistress of Torture.

Jozzlyn smirked. Her mother had jumped at the opportunity to put her youngest daughter in the Baenre House as her right hand spy. What Mez'Barris Armgo did not foresee was the fact that Triel had promoted Jozzlyn for that very same purpose. Jozzlyn was no more honored than the kobold that brought her meals daily. Jozzlyn was a vassal forced into a dangerous game of double-dealing with the two most powerful houses in Menzoberranzan. She lived in constant fear of her life while her mother sat in her fortress strategizing and only sending for her daughter when she desired new information.

Life in House Baenre was never boring. Jozzlyn's "talents" were used whenever Triel or the Matron Mother had found some unsuspecting traitor in their midst. Triel was slowly gaining power over her mother, who had been too busy worrying about the enemies outside her home. She underestimated her children. In Menzoberranzan, males were viewed as weak and powerless. They were seen as mere instruments; used only when a female needed an heir for her House or to complete a job deemed too insignificant to send a female. Jozzlyn was startled when she heard a sudden loud knock at her door. "Enter." She spoke, her voice shaking slightly. A short male stuck his head through her doorway.

"Pardon the intrusion Mistress Jozzlyn, but your expertise is needed in the dungeons," he said proudly. Jozzlyn reached for her shawl and wrapped it around her bare shoulders. The male watched her pensively, but said nothing.

"You are excused," Jozzlyn shouted at the male. As soon as his footsteps faded down the hall, Jozzlyn made her way to the lower staircase. Her ebony skin prickled, betraying the chill she felt in her bones as she traveled down the ice-cold stairway. She hated her duty as Mistress of Torture. Most females enjoyed humiliating their prisoners, but Jozzlyn had not the heart for it. She was just as much a prisoner as the men she questioned. As she was approaching the doorway to the dungeons, a male rushed past her murmuring to himself. She walked through the main doorway into the isolation chamber and scoffed at the guard who eyed her breasts hungrily. "Stupid bastard," she thought. "If I had been any other female you would have your eyes gauged out with a hot poker." This was not the first time she had shared the idea that men were foolish and expendable.

"Who is the prisoner, and to which House does he declare his loyalty?" Jozzlyn asked the guard.

"A dead house Mistress. That of Do 'Urden. He claims to be Drizzt Do' Urden himself, son of Zaknafein the famed Weapon's master and-"

"I KNOW WHO HE IS, YOU PATHETIC FOOL!" Jozzlyn screamed. "How did he end up here? I had no knowledge of this beforehand. Who captured him?"

"I do not know, Mistress. Jarlaxle is the one who brought him here. Single-handedly captured from what I hear." the guard replied with admiration in his voice.

"Sure he did," Jozzlyn thought. "Maybe that's why he was in such a good mood when he came to my chambers last night." She turned the corner and glanced into the room before walking inside. The room had been dimly lit, with extra guards lining the walls of the small enclosure. She looked to the far wall where the prisoners hung from manacles on the stone walls. He was there, obviously beaten and tortured, but the blood had been cleaned from his body. His head was hung and his breathing was labored. Jozzlyn slowly walked into the room toward the well-known traitor. She paused as he raised his head at the sound of her approach. His eyes were not red, but a beautiful lavender. Jozzlyn caught her breath. Despite the circumstances, she could see that he was very handsome. His hands were chained above his head, and the sweat glinted on his bare chest. His feet had been chained to the stone floor, and one guard was standing with his rapier pointed at the prisoner's chest.

"Surely they don't think he can escape so easily," thought Jozzlyn. "You are all dismissed," she said to the guards.

"With all respect Mistress, Jarlaxle has told us to stay. He will be here himself in a few minutes," one of the guards stated nervously.

Before Jozzlyn could retort, Jarlaxle slowly walked into the room. "My apologies for being late, Mistress. I was…ah…diverted for a moment," Jarlaxle said slyly. "You may all leave the room now that I am here to assist Mistress Jozzlyn."

Jozzlyn's anger flared as the guards begin to file out of the room at the male's command. "How dare you? I shall have you all whipped and tortured for this insubordination!"

"My apologies once more, Mistress; but upon pain of death the members of Bregan D'aerthe answer to no one but myself," Jarlaxle boldly stated as the last mercenary left the room. Before Jozzlyn could reply, Jarlaxle walked over to the prisoner who had been watching the confrontation attentively. Jozzlyn was speechless. No one had ever spoken to her that way before. Granted she was far from a Matron Mother, but she was still a female. Even Triel's favorite opportunistic mercenary knew his boundaries.

"Let's get to the point of your visit, shall we?" Jarlaxle turned to Jozzlyn once more. "I have a proposition for you, beautiful Mistress. You find out all you can from our new friend here, and I won't tell Triel about your little secret visits with your mother."

Jozzlyn sucked in her breath at the open threat. "Excuse me? You are mistaken if you think my loyalty lies anywhere other than House Baenre. You are also very foolish to make threats to me, Jarlaxle. In one second I could have you tortured and sacrificed to Lolth for your little charade here. Do not underestimate me, for I know you have paid the guards handsomely for their discretion of our prisoner here. When Triel finds out that you have captured Drizzt Do 'Urden and have been keeping him in her dungeons right under her nose she will be furious. The Spider Queen will have her blood sacrifice tonight!"

Jarlaxle's blood boiled and anger flashed across his face. He quickly replaced his scowl with a grin. "You think this is Drizzt Do' Urden?" He laughed aloud before striking the prisoner across the face hard enough to knock him unconscious. "Drizzt Do"Urden is dead. This is a member of an insignificant fifth house wanted for questioning by my faction. My pardon Mistress. I never meant to offend you; I only offer an exchange of services. Triel did not authorize this, uhm, interrogation as you have rightly guessed, but surely she would not be bothered by my small use of her dungeons for a short while."

He paused and tried to read Jozzlyn's facial expressions. She was careful not to give away anything she was thinking. Finally after a few more seconds of sizing each other up, Jozzlyn spoke. "So what you are proposing is this: If I interrogate your witness and keep your use of Triel's resources to myself, you will not tell Triel I have been unfaithful?"

"Precisely, Mistress. Because we both know that whether or not you are guilty of double crossing Triel, my word will be all she needs to plant the seed of doubt and gain loyalty from the other houses. That will be all she needs to utterly destroy your mother's house. Not to mention you're beautiful…" Jarlaxle looked Jozzlyn from head to toe; "face."

Jozzlyn carefully considered his words. "There will be another time to give up Jarlaxle she thought. I need whatever information his prisoner has first. Then I can approach Triel when I have more to offer her. I will never be safe while Jarlaxle lives."

"I accept your bargain." She stated simply.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jarlaxle turned to the prisoner and slapped him hard across his face. He stirred, his lavender eyes opening slightly. Jarlaxle bowed and outstretched his hand to the drow hanging on the wall. "He's yours, Mistress."

Jozzlyn walked slowly up to the prisoner and raised his chin to look into his eyes. "What do you want to know?" she asked Jarlaxle.

"Find out how he breached the walls of House Baenre first. The fence would have stopped him in his tracks. Its magic would have held him there until we found him. He got in some other way, and I want to know how."

Jozzlyn looked into the prisoner's eyes. She used her magic to probe into the contours of his mind. Surprisingly she met strong barriers. It was then she knew this was no ordinary insignificant drow. Males were not usually blessed by Lolth and therefore did not possess magic of this strength. The strain showed on her face as she tried to break through. Even at the drow's weakened body, his magic was still powerful. She caught fleeting glimpses of bright light that hurt her eyes and plants that seemed to reach into the sky and towered over large boulders. Her skull began to pound and her head ached. The prisoner groaned under the weight of her magic. Finally, she broke through enough to see a large black beast, with fangs as sharp as sabers. A heard a name, Guen, before the prisoner's barrier completely broke. The prisoner's head came down hard on Jozzlyn's nose, but not hard enough to break it. She leapt back in surprise and pain, and fleetingly caught a glimpse of something like remorse flash across the drow's face.

Behind her Jarlaxle chuckled. "Careful, Mistress. He almost broke your pretty nose."

She did not even look at him, but instead kept her gaze on the face of the prisoner. 'He doesn't wish to harm me," she thought. She approached her captive once more, this time more slowly. She cupped his head in her hands and gently let her magic flow into his mind. She was met with less resistance, but still his barriers stood strong.

Suddenly she heard a male voice ring strong in her mind, "He will betray you," it said. She shrank back, surprised again by this male's power.

"Well?" Jarlaxle said behind her. "I thought you were a mind flayer?"

"You must be quiet. I need concentration; I will let you know when I find something." Jozzlyn shot back. "And never compare me with those monstrous humanoids again."

She spoke into the prisoner's mind, and to her astonishment, he did not block her words. "I know. He will have me murdered as soon as I tell him anything. Neither of us are safe while the other lives. Who are you?" she asked.

She felt his reservation as he spoke to her. "You already know."

"I knew this was Drizzt," she thought to herself. Before she could say anything else, the voice echoed again in her mind.

"There are plans of an attack on Mithril Hall. I have many friends there." His lavender eyes bore into Jozzlyn's.

"What is Mithril Hall? How did you plan to do anything about it single-handily anyway?" Jozzlyn asked.

Drizzt flashed an image of a female drow. It was Jozzlyn. Jozzlyn turned to Jarlaxle, even though she knew he would not have seen her image.

"How did he get into the fortress?" Jarlaxle asked her.

"Someone helped him. Someone wearing the colors of your faction." Jozzlyn lied.

"What? Who did this?" Jarlaxle shouted. "What is he after, Jozzlyn?"

She turned to Drizzt. "How do you plan to escape this dungeon? This house? Get past all the guards here undetected?"

He only said one word. "You." A sharp pain shot through Jozzlyn's chest.

"What? How? Jarlaxle will have many guards posted. Even if we made it out of the compound, we would never make it out of the Underdark."

"Trust me, Jozzlyn. If you can get me out of these chains, I will do the rest. You are not evil. I can sense good in you." She heard nothing after her name. No one had ever said her name like that before.

"I will help you. Although it will mean certain death for us both. I will do what I can. However, you have to take me with you. No matter what happens."

"I will. I would not leave you to die. I will not leave here without you." He paused. "Do you know of Gromph?"

Jozzlyn cringed. "Yes. He thinks very highly of himself. I wish nothing more but a slow and painful death for him. He has overstepped his bounds with me several times."

"Could you show me where his chambers are located? He has something that will make our escape possible."

"Yes. What does he hold there?"

"It's a mask. It will allow us to climb down the wall. Have you seen it?" asked Drizzt hurriedly.

"Yes, I know it. It is kept under his close eye. He is very proud of it." Jozzlyn replied.

Jarlaxle shifted impatiently behind her.

"Please come back for me tonight. If you can get here safely and unchain me, I promise I will die defending you if need be. I hope that it will not come to that, if we get the mask we will leave immediately. I already have the information I need."

Jarlaxle cleared his throat and shattered the silence.

Drizzt spoke once more before Jozzlyn turned to leave. '"Bring something warm to wear with you, and be careful."

Jozzlyn turned to Jarlaxle. "He has strong barriers upon his mind. I am exhausted. Allow me to come back tomorrow. Right now I must rest, or I will be of no use to you."

Jarlaxle hesitated. "Don't be foolish, Jozzlyn. I will be watching you. If you so much as speak my name to anyone, I will tell Triel that you and you mother have been planning her murder since you arrived at House Baenre. I will see to it you are killed before you can so much as utter a word against me. You know I have that power. Again-do not betray me."

"I am not a fool, Jarlaxle. I have as much at stake as you do here. Now, I shall take me leave of you. I am weary and will retire to my chambers. I will send word to you tomorrow and I shall try the prisoner again. See to it that he is beaten to near death, so that my job may prove easier."

"I will do my part, see that you do yours," he said and escorted Jozzlyn from the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jozzlyn's heart was still pounding when she closed the door to her rooms. Immediately she began packing a satchel of food and clothing. Since she was not much more than a prisoner, she had no problem figuring out what she would pack. Before sitting down to think about her plan, she removed a block of stone from her wall. She removed her one handed crossbow from the hole. Behind it, was a box that held poisonous darts. These she kept hidden, as Triel was highly suspicious of anyone who carried weapons around her. Lastly, she grabbed one of her precious bracers, one that she had stolen from the weapon's room only a year ago. She placed it on her right wrist. Jozzlyn waited three hours before leaving her room. She hoped that Jarlaxle would wait until the next day before torturing Drizzt. She crept out into the hall with once last glance of her chamber.

"What am I doing? I will be caught and strangled by Triel's own hand, if she doesn't do something worse." She turned to the left and cautiously began the trek down toward the dungeons. Coming around the corner, something slammed hard against her, knocking her off balance.

"Mistress Jozzlyn," a male voice spoke. She looked up to see none other than Gromph Baenre. His eyes explored her body.

"Greetings. I have just come back from speaking with Mistress Triel. She has called a meeting. She has requested yourself and Mistress Quenthel to attend. I cannot seem to find her, and Mistress Triel said you may know where she is." Jozzlyn was amazed at how quickly the lie slipped from her lips.

"Indeed. I will be on my way then, " Gromph said irritably. As he walked past Jozzlyn he brushed his hand against her thigh.

"Too easy," thought Jozzlyn. If a male would think with his head instead of his cock, he may have noticed that I was carrying a sack and shaking like a kobold when I spoke to him." She made her way to the top of the dungeon stairway. She silently crept down the stairs one at a time. She reached behind her and pulled her crossbow from her bag. As silent as her footsteps, she loaded a poisonous dart into the bow. Before the first guard even saw her, a dart had pieced his neck. He fell to the floor, Jozzlyn barely catching his rapier before it clanged to the floor. She removed his sword and carried it in her right hand. Her bow, now loaded with another dart was in her left. She made her way to the door of the isolation room. In the side room to the left of the door she heard several male voices.

She cursed under her breath. "There are definitely more than two of them," she thought. Setting her bow and the rapier to the side, she reached into her bag again and brought out a small sack of powder. She then wrapped her cloak around her nose and mouth, and poured a generous amount of powder into her hands. Within seconds, she was around the corner into the side room. The three males who were keeping guard barely had time to turn in her direction before Jozzlyn's powder hit them square in their faces. The males began clawing at their faces as the powder burned their eyes and throat. They began screaming and running into each other as Jozzlyn took it upon herself to use a few of her remaining darts to silence them. Aided by her magical bracer, the men were unconscious in a minute. She snatched the keys from the guard closest to the door. "Too much noise!" thought Jozzlyn as she unlocked the door. She raced into the isolation room. She ran over to Drizzt who was awake and alert.

"You came." He said.

"Yes, and I had some trouble with the guards outside. I had to use fire dust on them and the bastards began screaming before I could silence them." Jozzlyn moaned as she unlocked the chains around Drizzt's feet."We must hurry."

When Drizzt was free, he quickly found his clothes. "Where do they keep prisoner's weapons?" he said.

"Over there, in the storeroom. That is if Jarlaxle hasn't taken them for himself."

Jozzlyn heard Drizzt rummaging through the weapons none too quietly. "Be quiet, are you trying to get us killed more quickly?" she whispered.

"Well I figured if anyone heard the guards they would have already came by now." Drizzt replied. He came out the room holding a scimitar. "Jozzlyn, meet Twinkle."

Before she could reply, he had grabbed her wrist and steered her towards the door. "Let's go. Where is Gromph's room?"

Jozzlyn ran ahead, "This way. I sent him away, but he will be back as soon as her realizes I lied to him."

They ran down the hall, Jozzlyn holding her crossbow, and Drizzt with his scimitar. They came to a fork in the hall, and two kobolds were coming down the right hallway. Jozzlyn hesitated, and pulled Drizzt close to her.

"Kobolds. They are stupid. Walk casually behind me like I have commanded you to follow me." She walked out into the hallway and never even looked at the kobolds. As they walked past the two servants, Jozzlyn hissed at the one closest to her. It shrieked and they both fled down the hallway.

They came to a corridor with several doors. "His is the one on the left, on the far side."

Drizzt shook his head and went to the door. He pressed on the latch, but the door would not budge. "Back up," he said. "Go back into the hall we just came from, and scream if you see anyone coming."

Jozzlyn was too frightened to do anything but obey. She heard a loud noise, and peeked around the corner. Drizzt had kicked the door in and was nowhere to be found. She waited until what seemed like hours before Drizzt reappeared. He was clutching a mask.

"Arrogant fool. It was kept in an unlocked box aside his bedding."

"Let's go," said Jozzlyn. "I heard footsteps."Her heart was beating so fast she thought it may escape from her chest.

Jozzlyn lead them through the twists and turns of the fortress. Drizzt was right on her heels. Just then, two male drow came around the next bend. They were wearing the colors of Bregan D'aerthe. Before she could turn to warn Drizzt he had already unleashed his scimitars. A mad grin had spread across his face. He was ready to fight. The two males rushed him, but Drizzt was more than a match for them both. With one quick motion, he had gashed the tallest drow's forearm. He kicked off from the wall and bashed the other on the back of the skull with Twinkle. The drow fell, unconscious. The other with the bleeding forearm came back around to face Drizzt who was now behind him. With one quick motion, Drizzt sliced his scimitar across the drow's belly, leaving him to fall to his knees in pain. Before she knew it, Jozzlyn was being dragged ahead into a large room with a chute on the outer wall.

"Here, this is perfect," Drizzt exclaimed. I was led in on this side of the fortress, which means the fence will be closest here."

"Wait. The fence is suicide. How will we get over it?" Jozzlyn asked. Just then, they heard shouts and footsteps coming down the hall.

"Just trust me, Jozzlyn. We have to go." Drizzt climbed into the chute and crawled until he saw the fence pulsating with magic. He took the spider mask out of his cloak and gave it to Jozzlyn to hold. He grabbed Jozzlyn's other hand and led her to the thin walkway used by the patrol. They ran along the path until Drizzt stopped in his tracks. Jozzlyn ran into him from behind. Before she even saw him, she heard his voice.

"Well, well. Here is our escaped prisoner. And who is that with you…have you made a friend?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jarlaxle and his band of mercenaries lurched forward. Drizzt drew his weapons and crouched into an attack position. Jozzlyn froze.

"Jarlaxle. Tell your friends to back off. This is between you and I." said Drizzt.

"Now what fun would that be? I would love to see the famous Drizzt Do 'Urden fight before my own eyes. " With a quick hand signal, three drow rushed Drizzt. Jozzlyn saw a blur of flashing metal and the red coats of the mercenaries as they fought. Jarlaxle smiled and even clapped as he watched the drow fight one another. Jozzlyn racked her brain trying to figure out how she could help. Quickly, she brought up her bow and took out one of the males that had been trying to creep up behind Drizzt. His body crumpled to the ground and Jarlaxle spun around to face her.

"You are a foolish female. I told you not to betray me. I was going to let him go after you told me his secrets. It is much more entertaining when he is alive. House Baenre needs someone like him to keep them on their toes."

"You lie!" Jozzlyn screamed. "You would have us killed to raise yourself higher in Lolth's favor!"

"Lolth?" Jarlaxle laughed. "I care nothing for Lolth. Now every drow in Menzoberranzan knows he is here. I now have no choice but to capture you both. To think I actually cared for you."

Just then, Drizzt came from the air and landed on top of Jarlaxle. Jozzlyn screamed as they rolled right for her. She barely made it out of the way as the drow fought on the edge of the path.

"What am I going to do?" she thought, "More of his lackeys are on their way I'm sure of it."

Just then, she saw that a piece of the wall had begun to crumble with age above them. She concentrated all of her energy of levitation on the boulder. Just as she began to lose consciousness, she shouted at Drizzt to move. In a second, the section of the wall came crashing down toward them. Drizzt leapt to the side and rolled to his feet. He grabbed Jozzlyn and dragged her along the edge of the wall. He stopped at the brink, and ripped the mask from her hand. Putting it on, he stole one last glimpse behind him before clutching Jozzlyn against his body.

"Hold on to me. Whatever you do, don't let go of me." He leaped off the wall just as Jarlaxle's maniacal laughter rang out over the fence. They hit the fence with a crack. Jozzlyn almost lost her grip on Drizzt shoulder but managed to cling to him. He groaned with her extra weight, but somehow stayed on the fence. With a quick reminder for her to hang on, Drizzt let go of the fence.

"I need you to help me levitate. We won't have time to climb down the wall; they're will be arrows soon."

Jozzlyn focused her magic with Drizzt's. They floated down the wall, occasionally pulled down by Drizzt's other hand on the wall. Jozzlyn still could not believe his hands were not sticking. Once on the ground, they began to run. Shouts rang from the compound, and arrows rained down upon them. The only time they stopped was for Drizzt to fight off anyone who tried to waylay them on their journey into the tunnels. Jozzlyn struggled to keep up with Drizzt, not even watching when he stopped to fight. Finally, after an hour of running they made their way past Donigarten. Jozzlyn recognized the Dark Dominion before they reached it. The only thing she knew about this area was that several tunnels lead to the surface. Drizzt seemed to know exactly which one, as he raced towards the one furthest to the left. They seemed to run for hours more until finally Drizzt slowed.

"Up ahead there is a ledge way up there. Nothing will be able to see or smell us there. I have a friend waiting for us." Jozzlyn struggled to breathe as they made their way to the ledge. She barely had enough strength left to levitate to the top of the cavern.

Once on top of the ledge, Jozzlyn collapsed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jozzlyn awoke to see a two giant eyes glaring at her in the darkness. Her infrared vision made the beast look even more menacing. She jumped up on her feet and immediately ran for the ledge. A hand grabbed her wrist just as she was about to jump off.

"It's okay! She means no harm!" she heard Drizzt say. Jozzlyn slowly turned to look at him.

"Is this the friend you were referring to?" she asked quietly.

"Yes. This is Guen. Well, Guenhwyvar actually. She is from the Astral Plane, and my dearest companion. She is not accustomed to strangers, and I'll admit she can be very intimidating at times," Drizzt said. Guen gave a snort as if to punctuate Drizzt's comment.

The huge panther rose up to walk toward Jozzlyn, and she froze in fear. The cat stopped inches away from Jozzlyn and gazed into her eyes.

"She's very large," Jozzlyn noted, and quickly added, "but beautiful." Guen's body seemed to relax as she turned around and lay down gracefully on the ledge.

Drizzt smiled. "You will get to know her soon enough. She is an invaluable ally to have in the caves and tunnels. Did you rest well? You were out the minute we reached the ledge." Jozzlyn allowed herself to relax as well.

"Yes, actually. Despite the circumstances. I can't believe we made it out their alive and unscathed." Drizzt's face grew darker.

"Yes, and to be honest with you Jozzlyn, the only reason we did escape is because he allowed us to. He could have alerted the entire of Menzoberranzon, but he chose not to. Do you know why?" Jozzlyn shrugged.

"Jarlaxle has been acting rather strange ever since…" she broke off. After a small pause she continued. "Since about a month ago when he came to my chambers to question me about my mother. He knew, Drizzt. He has known for only Lolth knows how long, about me and my…double-sided work."

"And still he did not betray you to Baenre? He must foresee something in the future that benefits himself, or else he would have dispatched you as soon as he found out. Perhaps he also has dealings with your House?" Drizzt quietly crouched down on the ledge.

"If he does I have never seen proof of it. My mother chooses carefully what information she passes along to me. I am not trusted by either side." Jozzlyn stated.

Silence took over their conversation. For several moments, neither of them spoke again until Drizzt rose to his feet. "Are you hungry? I have a small store of food in my satchel. It's not enough to last us throughout our entire journey, but it will do until I can hunt."

"No, thank you. I don't think I could eat right now." Jozzlyn replied. She sat down beside where Drizzt had crouched moments earlier, careful not to get too close to the sleeping panther. Drizzt went to Guen and sat down alongside her, stroking her behind her large ears. The cat began to purr softly. Jozzlyn almost laughed at the sight of it. The ten-foot long cat purring alongside her five and a half foot friend. At length Jozzlyn spoke. The questions began pouring out of her.

"Drizzt? Did you mean what you said back at the dungeons? About seeing good inside of me? How were you able to block your mind that strongly? Were you once a priest? Where are we going? I have never left the Underdark before and I have only heard the most…"

"Patience." Drizzt said. "I can only answer one question at a time." He smiled. "As far as your first question, I say this: Every creature has both light and dark, good and evil inside of them. It is our choices that make us one or the other." Jozzlyn frowned.

"I've done some evil things, Drizzt. I have broken fellow drow down to nothing but husks. I have taken everything they had."

"Did you feel remorse at this? Did you want to do it?" he asked quietly.

"At first I did. At first, I would cry myself to sleep at night or pretend I could not find any information. I did not ask for this power. I did not want to use it to harm others. Over time, it became a duty, my purpose. The only thing that kept me alive was to aid House Baenre or my mother. I closed myself off to their pain. I did not allow myself to feel it."

Drizzt listened attentively. "We have all done things we are ashamed of. We have all made difficult choices and had to deal with their consequences. I think you did only what was necessary. The simple fact that what you did bothered you is proof that you are not evil."

Jozzlyn fought the tears that were coming into her eyes. She did not trust herself to speak again. Drizzt took her hand in his. "The important thing is that you have escaped. You never have to go back there again or face the ones who forced you to do evil in their name. I trust you Jozzlyn. You could have betrayed me but you chose not to. You risked life and limb to get me out of that dungeon. You lied to a priest and took down several guards to do the right thing. Because of you, I can warn my friends and help them prepare for a major battle."

Jozzlyn squeezed his hand but did not look into his eyes. She made no moment to speak, but instead focused on Drizzt's chest as he breathed. He never made a sound. "My journey takes me on to Mithril Hall, my home for the present. It is a dangerous road, goblins prowl these tunnels, and occasionally evil rogue drow can be found lurking in the darkness. You are welcome to join me; in fact I hope you do."

Jozzlyn shook her head in agreement. "I fear I have no choice. As I said before, I am no fool. I know I could never survive alone on the surface. I have heard the light is blinding."

Drizzt took her other hand in his. "Yes, your eyes must slowly grow accustomed to the light. You must learn to use vision other than infrared. It took me several weeks to be comfortable in the sunlight, and even now after being in the tunnels for an extended time it stings at first."

Jozzlyn looked up at him and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could utter a word, Drizzt's head cocked to the side and he let go of her hands. A stab of fear went through her chest. She had not heard anything. Drizzt motioned for her to stay calm and keep very still. The panther's fur bristled in anticipation. Guen had risen to a crouching position in what seemed like seconds. Just then, Jozzlyn saw a figure moving in the far cavern below. Several more came from behind a large boulder. Drizzt was poised for an attack, but made no movements.

They waited for several more minutes before suddenly Guen pounced as fast as lightening to the cave below. Drizzt's eyes were wide and his mouth in a snarl of battle lust. Jozzlyn watched as Guen's razor sharp claws raked across the figures bodies, ripping them to shreds. In a flash Drizzt jumped down to dispatch the remaining bodies. In all, the entire battle took only minutes. Drizzt knelt to clean his blades and Guen continued to keep watch for other intruders. After a moment, Drizzt returned to the ledge and began packing his gear. Jozzlyn followed suit and reached for her sack. Drizzt motioned for her to follow him as they levitated down to the cave floor.

"We must move quickly. We must make it to the surface and risk the trek above ground. These caves are swarming with goblins." Drizzt explained.

After several hours at a brisk pace, Jozzlyn began to tire, but refused to slow Drizzt down. She suffered in silence until at last they came to a small cavern with several large boulders in a row.

Drizzt turned to her. "I will have to blindfold you. We must move quickly to the exit. By then we will not have time to risk stopping again. We shall eat and drink now and you may rest a bit."

"Is the light really that painful?" Jozzlyn asked.

"Yes, it is at first but the blindfold will help. You must trust me and allow Guen to carry you. If we run into an ambush, she will have to set you down. Eat now and rest. I will wake you in an hour."

Jozzlyn wondered if Drizzt ever slept as she ate her meal. She attempted to sleep, but every little sound startled her. She wanted to ask Drizzt about the goblins, but he seemed too deep in thought for her to bother him. After a half hour, she gave up trying to sleep."I'm ready to move if need be."

Drizzt studied her. "Are you sure? It will be a long walk. We cannot stop until we find shelter from the snow. Go ahead and put on your cloak. I have an extra pair of leggings as well for you."

Jozzlyn nodded and put on her gear. "I'm ready."

Drizzt tore a piece of cloth from a coat he had tied to his satchel. Jozzlyn wondered why she had never seen it before. "He never answered me when I asked him about his magic." She thought.

Drizzt moved behind her to tie the blindfold. His hands grazed the side of her face as he wrapped it around her eyes. She could feel his breath upon her neck. He took her hand and led her to the giant panther. Guen has agreed to carry you to the surface. It is not far, only about one kilometer up." Jozzlyn's hands were shaking as he helped her on the cat's muscled shoulders. Guen felt hard as stone underneath her.

"Hold on tight." Drizzt stated. They began to walk at a brisk pace with Jozzlyn holding around Guen's massive neck. She was afraid she was pulling the cat's fur, but Guen never complained. Jozzlyn gave up looking around the caves, her blindfold was pitch black. Her infrared vision slowly began to show more of a bright orange as they made their way up the crevice. She had taken to closing her eyes underneath the blindfold. After several minutes, the light began to grow brighter even through closed eyes. Jozzlyn's head began to ache. They made it to the surface with no incident. Drizzt explained that most goblins did not come to the surface until dusk, when the sun was setting. He explained the sequences of the day and night to Jozzlyn, only stopping when she asked a question. Dark elves rarely walked to the surface, they were masters of darkness.

Guen came to a stop, and Drizzt helped Jozzlyn down from her back. She heard him whisper "Until nightfall my dear friend." Guen let out a low growl.

"Is she not coming with us to Mithril Hall?" Jozzlyn asked.

"Guen is a creature of the Astral Plane. Even she must go home to rest. I will summon her again at nightfall when she is rested," Drizzt explained. "We must cover a lot of ground before the sun sets and the snow freezes," Drizzt told her as he took her hand and began walking.

Jozzlyn heard the soft crunch of the snow as she walked, and Drizzt took the opportunity to explain precipitation and snowfall. Occasionally if they had to walk over tricky terrain, Drizzt would place his hand around her waist and steady her. His body radiated heat, and Jozzlyn's head slowly stopped aching. As the light faded, Jozzlyn noticed the air felt colder. She had grown accustomed at feeling the snow land on her hands and face. Drizzt placed his cloak over her head to block some of the wind. An hour passed and Jozzlyn was steadily growing colder.

Drizzt sensed her concern, "The sun is setting. We have roughly an hour to reach my hidden shelter, but if we keep our pace we shall reach it before nightfall."

"Everything is so…bright. Will ever get used to this, Drizzt?" Jozzlyn whispered.

"Of course you will. Hang on, we are almost there."

Jozzlyn's face went numb. She stopped talking as her lips began to chap. Once she stumbled and Drizzt caught her before she landed face forward into the snow. Drizzt pulled her close and told her she could sit on a broken limb and rest for a few minutes. She sat down beside him and he held her frozen hands to warm them. After a few minutes, Jozzlyn felt his hand cup her face and gently turn it toward him.

"Your lips are blue," said Drizzt. "When you are ready we will continue up this hill and be at the cave in less than ten minutes." Jozzlyn licked her chapped lips.

Drizzt cupped her face with both of his hands. Slowly she felt pressure as he brushed her lips with his. She felt warmth rush into her and her heart skipped a beat. Slowly and gently he pressed his lips to hers. She found herself responding to his kiss, and let her lips part. He took her bottom lip in between his and gently sucked on it to make her blood flow. He pulled away slowly and Jozzlyn noticed she had been holding her breath the entire time.

Suddenly Drizzt stood up. "You're freezing and I'm just sitting here. Come on, we need to walk a few more steps."

Jozzlyn slowly stood, worried that her shaking knees would not hold her. He wrapped his arm around her waist again and they began to walk uphill.

"Almost there, Jozzlyn."Drizzt whispered in her ear. Jozzlyn began to realize just how much she cared for this male.

She willed herself to keep moving, but her head was spinning. She did not know if it was because of the cold or his kiss. She thought about the way his lips felt on hers. She recalled the feeling of losing control of herself when he pulled away from her. The last thing she remembered was the way her body and soul longed for him when he let her go.

And then everything turned to black.

[That's all I have so far. Please let me know what you think or where I can improve.]


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jarlaxle peered into the dark chasm, his glowing red eyes searching for movement. He moved closer to the edge and raised his voice.

"I will not answer for your treachery!" he shouted into the pitch blackness. Stepping back, he felt the edge of his boot brush against something.

Jarlaxle crouched near the ledge to find a single jade earring. He knew for certain it was hers.

"Foolish female. You could have had anything you wanted. I would have handed you the entire Underdark if you'd only asked."

He stood with the earring held tightly in his grasp.

"But that was the problem, wasn't it? You never wanted any part of any of this," he whispered to the darkness. "Your pretty little head always dreaming of the surface; of things you could never have."

He raised the earring up to a nearby torch and allowed his eyes to adjust. It was beautiful. As beautiful as the day he won it; the day he presented it to her. He closed his hand and let it fall to his side as he turned to face the darkness again.

"She should have never mistaken my kindness for weakness. Often we realize the threshold has been pushed to the limit only after the dam has burst."

He squeezed the earring harder.

"By then it's too late and the irrefutable damage has been done. Whole cities have been annihilated in the name of disrespect…"

A harsh voice cut through the silence. "Funny thing, respect. It is demanded yet never returned."

Jarlaxle crushed the jade earring his in hand, the sharp edge slicing open his palm.

He slowly turned to face Matron Baenre; the blood dripping from his hand.


End file.
